I have no relationship with Trump, Brazil’s President Lula tells BBC– www.bbc.com
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Excerpt:
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told the BBC in an exclusive interview that he has “no relationship” with US President Donald Trump.
Lula has frequently criticised Trump, but this is the clearest signal yet that he thinks communication between him and his US counterpart is now broken.
Even though the US has a trade surplus with Brazil, Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods in July, citing the trial on coup charges of Brazil’s right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro as a trigger.
Lula described the tariffs as “eminently political” and said US consumers would be facing higher prices for Brazilian goods as a result.
The tariffs imposed by Trump have hit Brazilian exports to the US, like coffee and beef, which Lula said would become more expensive: “The American people will pay for the mistakes President Trump is incurring in his relationship with Brazil.”
The two leaders have never spoken directly to each other. When pushed on why he had not just tried to pick up the phone or form a relationship, President Lula said: “I never tried that call because he never wanted to have a conversation.”
